At the old well of Acoma - a picture from the past

Edward S Curtis was funded by JP Morgan to document the traditional life of the Native American people before it disappeared. His 20 volume ethnographic work titled The North American Indian was published between 1907 and 1930. Curtis has often been criticised for staging many of his photographs; often paying people to dress up and act out scenarios, but his images had an enduring influence on popular culture, especially Hollywood cinema

Acoma Pueblo women fill pottery vessels from a pool in New Mexico. This image, taken in 1904, was published in volume XVI (1926) of The North American IndianIllustration: Photograph: Edward S Curtis/ Field Museum Library/ Getty Images